Molecular responses to the fungal pathogen Gibberella fujikuroi in the leaves of chewing cane ( Saccharum officinarum L.)

Molecular responses induced by the fungal pathogen Gibberella fujikuroi in the leaves of chewing cane were investigated using proteomics, physiological and biochemical approaches, and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Proteins were extracted from the leaves of the chewing cane cultivar Fuan at 0 and 48 h after inoculation. Twenty-four proteins that showed up-/ down-regulated expression were identified using mass fingerprinting/mass spectrometry and assigned putative functions. While 10 proteins were related to disease resistance, others were found to be involved in different metabolic pathways. The results of enzyme assays and qRT-PCR further validated the expression patterns of chitinase, putative peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase 3 in the proteomics study, which suggested that these enzymes and the other identified proteins were activated by G. fujikuroi.